LETTERS, Nov. 8: Readers take opposing sides on Electoral College

Thursday

EDITOR: Under the convoluted logic of Walter Williams, those of us wishing to eliminate the Electoral College are either victims of a poor education, stupid or both. Here's why he's wrong:

The Electoral College was largely the creation of a very naive Alexander Hamilton who felt that electors from each state would -- being better educated, male and white -- be Solomon-like in their nonpartisan efforts to elect our presidents for us. He saw it as a way to assuage the concerns of Southern states’ fear that the higher-populated northern and (largely) anti-slavery states might soon outlaw slavery. Also, as initially conceived, electors were to be chosen by their state's legislature.

Word limitation prohibits me from better arguing the merits of a Constitutional amendment to abolish the antiquated system called the Electoral College. It has never worked in the ways our founding fathers anticipated, primarily due to the advent of the two-party system of government. Furthermore, they never envisioned taking the election of electors away from the states and handing it to political parties. Nor, for that matter, bestowing upon one political party all of a state’s electoral votes to whomever wins one popular vote more than the runner-up.

Yes, we are a republic. But, contrary to Williams’ thinking, eliminating the Electoral College wouldn’t change that a bit.

Mr. Williams defines precisely why we are not a democracy, but, instead, a republic, and why we have the Electoral College. He does so in very simple terms that just about anyone would understand.

All the rhetoric about abolishing the Electoral College, even by some politicians, e.g., Hillary Clinton, is totally naive about the brilliance of our founding fathers and the Constitution. This all- American political concept should be taught in every high school civics class (if that still exists) and printed in every newspaper across America before, during and after every presidential election.

Tom Wood, Wilmington

Obey Constitution

EDITOR: President Trump has said he will issue an executive order that would change the effect of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The 14th Amendment states in part, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and to the State wherein they reside.”

It appears the president believes it is not right for certain people born in the U.S. to be U.S. citizens, and that an executive order is sufficient to change the Constitution so they are not. Nowhere in Article II of the Constitution regarding the executive powers of the president is the president given the power to change the Constitution by an executive order. Actually, Article II states that, before entering office, the president must take an oath or affirmation to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Preserve means to keep complete or unimpaired. Protect means to shield or defend from harm. Defend means to shield from attack.

So if the president changes the Constitution by an executive order, he will be violating the oath he took. To legally change the constitution and keep his oath, the president should ask the Congress, under Article V of the Constitution, for any change he thinks is necessary.

Richard Dzingeleski, Wilmington

Existing double-standard

EDITOR: The one feature of “Obamacare” that is touted by its advocates is that no one can be excluded or required to pay a higher premium for a pre-existing condition. The federal government designed Medicare to not pay all expenses, and then designed a number of “medicare-supplement” programs.

There are several different coverages, but they can and do exclude pre-existing conditions. How could our government in good conscience tell insurers under “Obamacare” that there can be no exclusions for pre-existing conditions, yet allow it under the medicare supplement programs?

Jonathan Alexander, Wilmington

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